Caiti Mondragon

About: I have been blessed to be able to be married to my best friend, Ray, for almost nine years. Ray always pushes me to not only help our kids reach their dreams but to still strive for mine as well. I have been a stay at home mom for the last six years, and I wouldn't trade it for anything. It is the hardest, yet, most rewarding job I have ever had. I have three beautiful children; two who are in school, and one I still get to love on all day long. I thank God for giving me this great opportunity to share a little bit of my life with others. Check out my personal blog at www.mrsmomdragon.wordpress.com.

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As soon as I saw the cover, I knew it was going to be a book I enjoyed. Not only is it a real-life novel, it takes place in the early 1900s. As a little girl, I remember watching "Little House on the Prairie" and playing Oregon Trail on the computers at school (remember those bricks?), pretending that I, too, lived in a log cabin, traveled by horse and carriage and had to go to the lake for a bucket of water.

Immediately, Walls' book gives you an idea of the main character, Lily. She was a mother figure to her younger siblings, always looking out for them. She was stubborn but had a good head on her shoulders. From a young age, she knew what she wanted, and she wasn’t going to let anyone stop her, no matter how many times she was knocked down.

She actually reminded me a lot of my daughter, Emaleigh, one strong-willed girl.

Although sometimes it’s the hardest thing to do, the best thing we can do for our kids is to let them fall. I’m not talking about not being at the bottom of the slide to catch them when they’re counting on you to be there. I am referring to the falls of life. We don’t all have the same “falls,” but it’s up to us to learn how to get up, brush off the dirt and try again.

As a mom, it’s my job to lead and instruct my children on what “falling” might be like, but ultimately, they have to feel it for themselves. It wouldn’t do my kids any justice if I was always there to catch them. I have to let them fall because that’s the only way they’ll know how to do it the next time. In order to survive the falls and spills that this lifetime will bring them, they must persevere.

Please join us this Thursday at 7 p.m. (at the house of yours truly) to discuss the entire book and meet as women, moms and friends. RSVP by e-mailing greeleymoms@greeleytribune.com. You'll get a note back with my address! Please also bring a snack or drink (or both!) to share.

I’m looking forward to seeing everyone! Enjoy the book if you haven’t finished yet, and if you have, I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

Caiti Mondragon is married with three children. Read her Tuesdays on Greeley Moms. Also check out her personal blog here.

\'Most important thing in life,\' he would say, \'is learning how to fall.\'